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Ganji's Hunger Strike & Lebanon Conflict

Categories: Middle East & North Africa, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, Ideas, Media & Journalism, Migration & Immigration, Politics, War & Conflict

Dissident journalist Akbar Ganji [1] and his supporters called for a three days hunger strike [2] to attract attention on Iranian political prisoners. Several bloggers have talked about this hunger strike movement and some discussed Ganji’s regime change idea.

Bring Iranians closer to each other

MardomIranema thinks that Ganji’s call for hunger strike despite of all discussions has been a positive action. The blogger believes this fact that several people from different political or ideological background joined the strike movement may bring Iranians closer to each other [3] [Fa]. The blogger adds

در جمع افراد حامی اعتصاب غذا افرادی از جبهه اصلاحات بوده است که باید غنیمت شمرد. و اینکه افرادی به مانند اکبر گنجی و موسوی خوئینی شاید بتوانند این مرزایجاد شده را بشکنند.حضور فاطمه حقیقت جو نماینده شجاع مشارکتی مجلس ششم و حامی شرکت در انتخابات در برگزاری و ساماندهی این مراسم در امریکا جای خوشوقتی بود که این هم می تواند جز نکات مثبت این گردهمایی باشد و شاید روزنه امیدی به کم کردن فاصله ها شود و نکته مهم دیگر حضورجعفر پناهی کارگردان سینما در روز اخر مراسم در دفتر ادوار تحکیم حاوی نکات مثبتی است….و امیدوارم کلام محسن مخملباف کارگردان سینما را روزی اشتباه بدانم که گفته بود اکبر گنجی تنها شخص زنده ما ایرانیان است
There were people from the reformist front among hunger strike supporters and we should consider their presence valuable. People like Akbar Ganji or Mosavi Khoeini may be able to break already existing borders (between different groups or people with different ideas). The presence of Fatemeh Haghigatjoo [4], a former deputy in Parliament, to support and to organise the hunger strike movement in US is another positive sign. Jafar Panahi [5] (a prize winner movie director) was present in TahkimVahdat (student association) in the last day….. I hope Mohsen Makhmalbaf [6] (famous movie director) was wrong when he says I think the only person alive in country is Ganji.

The blogger concludes “I hope we don’t push Ganji to the top and bring him down and let him alone. We should look at Ganji as like as he sees himself, a journalist. All heavy weight is on his shoulders and more heavy the responsibility is, doing more mistakes will be possible”.

Regime change slogan a major point or a detail?

Javad Rooh thinks that Ganji has failed in his mission. The blogger says Ganji by advancing radical regime change slogans has lost his supporters inside country [7] [Fa]. The blogger adds Ganji joined the bankrupted opposition forces abroad. The blogger adds

اغراق نباشد، باید بگویم که اگر کسانی هم از جمع اپوزیسیون خارج از کشور، واجد جایگاه و اهمیت در سطح نخبگان (و نه توده ها) هستند، به خاطر ارتباط و همسویی شان با جریان اصلاح طلب و دموکراسی خواه داخل کشور است.
تأسف من هم از اینجاست که گنجی عزیز،… چنان بی برنامه و بی هماهنگی و با شعارهای رادیکال و غیرقابل طرح در داخل کشور سامان داده که حاصل آن، تنهایی خود در داخل و تضعیف موقعیت نیروهای واقعا توانمند در اپوزیسیون خارج از کشور بوده فضایی که متأسفانه به دست گنجی ساخته شد، میدانی است که در آن هر جریانی که شعاری تندتر علیه موجودیت جمهوری اسلامی و همه نیروهای فعال در چارچوبه قانون و نیز گفتمان انقلاب اسلامی دهد، ارزشمند تر است.
May be it wouldn’t be an exaggerration if we say the opposition forces outside country which have a base among the elites (not masses) in Iran is due to their relation with reformist and pro democracy groups inside country…it is pity that dear Ganij…. without any program has advanced radical and unrealisable slogans that have him isolated inside Iran and have weakened reayl strong forces in opposition, outside the country. Unfortunately Ganji created an environment where more radical slogans you chant against the Islamic Republic, the Islamic Revolution, discourse and people who want to act in a legal framework inside country, more valuable you become.

AvayehRahayi has a positive idea about Ganji's action and replies to the previous blogger's criticism. The blogger says Ganji’s meetings were not limited to the Iranian opposition. [8] [Fa] The blogger reminds us that he met several top philosophers or political philosophers such as Jurgen Habermas [9], the German philosopher. The blogger believes Ganji’s talk about regime change is a minor part of what he really said. The blogger adds non violent regime change does not work in reality because to change a regime, violence is required. The blogger writes that the main points in Ganji’s talk reflect a new image of Iranian people in the eyes of the world. Ganji tries to attract world attention to human rights issues in Iran rather than the nuclear crisis. Another main point in his talk was to show that there are Moslems in Iran who believe in democracy but are squeezed under the wheels of fundamentalism.

For many Iranian bloggers the conflict in Lebanon has been as important as Ganji's hunger strike call. Several of these bloggers discussed this conflict and shared their ideas with us.

Hezbollah=Iranian Mujahedine

Daana compares Israel's attack on Hezbollah to previous Iranian army attacks on the Mujahedine, an Iraq based armed opposition group [10] [Fa]. The blogger says

در چند سال گذشته چندین بار ارتش ایران به مراکز مجاهدین در عراق حمله کرد. کسی ایراد چندانی به این حمله ها نگرفت. چون مجاهدان گروهی ی نظامی بود که با فعالیتهای تروریستی ی خود در خاکِ ایران سعی در به دست آوردن اهداف خود می کرد. حمله ی مختلفِ ایران به مجاهدان امری دفاعی تلقی شداین گروه اخیرن از خاک لبنان به خاک اسراییل حمله کرده است و چند تن از سربازان اسراییلی را به اسارت گرفته است. این گونه رفتار را نمی توان با هیچ معاهده ی بین المللی توصیف کرد. اگر ایران جای اسراییل بود فکر می کردید چه می کرد؟
In the past few years the Iranian army has attacked several times Mujahedine (armed resistant group) bases in Iraq and not many people criticised Iran because Mujahedine had been considered as a military force conducting terrorist operations inside Iranian territory. The Iranian army's actions were considered as defensive actions…. Hezbollah movement like Mujahedine in many countries is on terrorist list. This group, Hezbollah, attacked from Lebanon into Israel and took a few soldiers as hostages. This kind of behaviour cannot be justified with any international treaty. Think how Iran would act if she were in Israel’s position.

Indifference

Nedaye Emrouz tries to explain why most Persian blogs are silent about the Israel-Lebanon conflict [11] [Fa]. The blogger adds that in general Iranians do not like Arabs, even hate them. Some of them even supported Israel's attack (Nedaye Emrouz thinks this is very cruel). According to Nedaye Emrouz Iranians cannot forget Arab countries’ indifference regarding Iran during the Iran-Iraq war [12] and Iranian government's financial help to Palestinian government when there are many Iranians live in poverty.

Whispers from Iranian Hezbollah

Hamed Talebi a Hezbollah and pro Ahmadinejad journalist explains different ways to act against Israel [13] [Fa]:

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۱- هر کس که می تواند باید خود را ابتدا به دمشق و از راه های رسمی یا غیر رسمی خود را به لبنان برساند تا از هر طریق ممکن به یاری مسلمانان بشتابد؛ البته باید دید که چه فایده ای می توانیم داشته باشیم.

۲-اکنون زمان مناسبی برای جهاد اینترنتی است. مسلمانان در هر جای دنیا می توانند برای ایمیل هایی که متعلق به صهیونیستها است که معمولا با پسوند “IL” شناخته می شود ویروس های قوی و کاری بفرستند. همچنین باید همه مسلمانان دست در دست هم سایت هایی اصلی رژیم صهوینیستی که معمولا با پسوند فوق الذکر شناخته می شوند را هک کنند.

1-Each person who can should go to Damascus and then through official or non official ways go to Lebanon to help Moslems. But we should know how can we become useful.
2-It is a perfect time for internet jihad. Strong viruses should be sent to Zionists sites ending with IL. All Moslems hand in hand should go hacking Zionists sites even for a few hours.

Mohammad Masih says if you are honest you will boycott companies supporting Israel [14] [Fa].The blogger adds you can not change your taste from Coca Cola to other thing or buy Ericsson instead of Nokia. Then please do not talk about defending a nation.

Whispers from politicians

Mohammad Ali Abtahi [15], a reformist politician writing at Webnevesht says in Islamic countries anti Zionist demonstration are spontaneous but not in Iran [16] [Fa]. Official institutions organise these demonstration in country. Abtahi adds I wonder who advises the President to say [17]

“If Syria is attacked, we will answer it” while it is Lebanon that is being attacked. When this is translated to Lebanese, they would interpret it as if the devastation of Lebanon is not important for the president of Iran. The important thing is that Syrian government is not damaged.

We read in Dr Ali Akbar Velayati's [18] blog, that former Foreign Minister and Leader's adviser considers what Israel is doing now as a governmental terrorist act [19] [Fa].

One Human being=One Human being

Naghde Hal criticised Iranian TV language regarding the conflict [20] [Fa]. The blogger says in the language of Iranian TV Israelies are killed but Lebanese become martyrs, attacks on Haifa by Hezbollah are praised but the bombing of Lebanon by Israeli airplanes is a disaster.